Mohammed Kordofani’s widely acclaimed film GOODBYE JULIA has garnered over 50 international awards since its release, with the Cannes Film Festival Freedom Prize, the Chicago International Film Festival Roger Ebert Award, and the Audience Choice at the Singapore International Film Festival notably among them.
It made history as the first Sudanese film to be presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival and submitted by the Sudanese National Committee for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
GOODBYE JULIA delves into the complexities of identity, culture, and personal sacrifice against the backdrop of Sudan's turbulent socio-political landscape.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mohamed Kordofani, the film has garnered significant attention for its rich storytelling and powerful performances.
Kordufani’s award-magnetting feature has resonated with global audiences, transcending the barriers of language and culture. Its compelling narrative and universal themes have appealed to both viewers and critics alike, establishing it as one of the most iconic films from the region.
GOODBYE JULIA follows the story of Mona — a northern Sudanese retired singer in a tense marriage — who is wracked by guilt after covering up a murder. In an attempt to make amends, she takes in the deceased’s Southern Sudanese widow, Julia, and her son, Daniel, into her home.
Unable to confess her transgressions to Julia, Mona decides to leave the past behind and adjust to a new status quo, unaware that the country’s turmoil may find its way into her home and put her face to face with her sins.
GOODBYE JULIA stars Eiman Yousif, Siran Riak — the former Ms. South Sudan — Nazar Goma, and Ger Duany.
Written and directed by Kordofani, it was produced by Station Films’ acclaimed Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Abu Alala — the director of Sudan’s first-ever submission to the Academy Awards YOU WILL DIE AT TWENTY — in collaboration with producer Mohamed Al-Omda, who co-produced Yemen’s Berlin International Film Festival selection THE BURDENED.
Mohamed Kordofani is a prominent Bahrain-based Sudanese filmmaker who notably shifted from a career in aviation engineering to filmmaking. A self-taught filmmaker, his first short film GONE FOR GOLD won him the Best Director award at the Sudanese Taharqa International Award for Arts.
His second short film NYERKUK received a score of accolades, including the NAAS Award at the Carthage Film Festival, the Jury Award at the Oran International Arabic Film Festival, and the Black Elephant Award at the Sudan Independent Film Festival.
The film received support from the Beirut-based Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt, the Swedish Malmö Arab Film Festival, and the Red Sea Fund in Saudi Arabia.
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